[FT AAR] New Israel/Islamic Federation II (long)

Laserlight captured the action pretty well, but here it goes.

NI HK (1574 pts):
1 Miflagti class BB - "Senesh" [uses Tel Aviv mini, for you Brigade
fans]
1 Natanya class CA-V "Natanya" [uses Tal mini] (1 stealth (same as
heavy) attack squadron)
1 Natanya-E class CA-V "Herzlia" [same] (1 stealth (same as heavy)
attack squadron) 2 Kineret Class CVDs "Kineret" and "Yam Suf" [tolkovsky mini]
(1 heavy squadron each)
10 Sheir/Karakau scouts, 5 with single submunition packs [right now I
use small SFB ships, but will probably use Brigade strikeboat minis in the
future]

NI Convoy: (212 nonfreighter NPV) 5 FB auxiliary freighters [any freighter
will do]
3 Even class corvette variants [Reshef mini] required to stay w/i 12" of
freighters until convoy is attacked
3 Sheir/Karakau scouts

Turn 1 was a closing turn as all sides angled for the convoy and the convoy
began a slow acceleration to escape. All fighters launched. Early long range
fire from the IF heavy destroyer damages the Convoy escort missile carrier,
but not severely.

On Turn 2, IF switch targets, and the missile ships flip axis to keep the HK
group in the SM arcs. All IF ships except the heavy destroyer angle for the HK
group. The CVD's attempt to disengage and leave the combat (a fatal mistake).
The HK group accelerates to intercept, and the convoy continues to flee

The Mameluke goes after the convoy escorts. The turn saw a veritable hail of
fire first three SM's (nine missiles) take out one of the Mass 6
Shier/Karakau scouts on the flank of the Senesh. Fighters and 2 MT
missiles from one of the corvettes engaged one of the Ifrits, meeting with 8
PDS and 3 class 1's that destroyed both missiles and 8 fighters. The rest of
the fighters inflicted under par damage, but manage to caused a single
threshold on one Ifrit. 19 class two beams from both Ifrits and the Saber
converged on Senesh at close range, inflicting a threshold. Senesh's Level 1
screen deflected fully 11 points of damage, saving the BB from a second
threshold. Senesh's fire, however is weak, as a full beam barrage fails to
cause a
threshold on the Saber. Senesh's torp, lobbed at the fighter-engaged
Ifrit, misses. NI cruiser beam fire and the scout submunitions were directed
at the
fighter-free Ifrit and inflicted just enough damage to destroy it.

Other action: C1 fire from one Ifrit destroys a scout escorting the HK group.
The Mameluke destroys one of the convoy escort CTs, evading its beam and
subpack.

Turn 3: The IF flashes past and throws all remaining SMs. NI fighters press
the attack on the remaining Ifrit, the HK group turns to face the now receding
raiders, and the lone destroyer chases the convoy. SMs destroy another AI
scout, and two rounds (7 missiles) find the Yam Suf. Without the protection of
the AI scouts, Yam Suf's 2 PDS manage to destroy one missile, far from
sufficient; the CVD is destroyed. Fate is again unkind to the fighter groups,
which see another eight fighters lost to PDS, in exchange
for a single hit from the eight surviving fighters. The IF beam-heavy
ships
are now largely out of range or arc of NI ships. NI fires on one Qaws -
causing heavy damage, but leaving the drive undamaged - and the
destroyer, flaying off all armor. The destroyer takes its first and only shot
at one of the freighters, chipping its hull.

Turn 4 is the last turn. The IF missile ships and beam ships are now well out
of range, so the fighters and HKs converge on the Mameluke. The last 8
fighters are eliminated by the destroyers 4 PDS, but combined beam fire and a
successful torp hit seal the destroyers fate before it, too can escape.

Historical outcome: Raid intercept encounter occurred outside Naveh system,
Jan 26, 2184. Primary objectives of the raid (kill convoy) failed. Secondary
objectives ( damage enemy, escape intact) were moderately successful. Primary
objective of defenders (protect convoy) succeeded. Secondary objectives
(destroy raiders, avoid damage) was marginal, successes in one balanced by
failures in the other. The IF lost ~30% more NPV than NI did, which makes for
an overall expensive NI victory.

Using a fighter-loss die roll (even = fighter salvageable; odd= fighter
destroyed; 1-2 = pilot OK, 3-4 = pilot injured; 5-6 pilot killed), the
four NI squadrons had 17 recoverable fighters, 9 pilots killed, and 9 injured.

For ships casualties I used a % roll, modified +10% for each additional
crew
unit scratched on the same turn - % overdamage if ship was destroyed.
For simplicity all casualties are considered fatalities.

Damaged/destroyed ships:

Damaged Corvette 0% (no crew unit scratched) Heavy repairs. Probably to be
scrapped for parts. Destroyed Even Corvette 100% (16 crew killed) CVD Yam Suf
100% (36) BB Senesh 10% (12) Light to moderate repairs required
3 SK scouts 100% (0 - crewed by AI).

Destroyed Ifrit 80% (56) Damaged Ifrit 17% (12) Light to moderate repairs
required Damaged Qaws 13% (8) Heavy repairs, likely recoverable. Destroyed
Mameluke 82% (29)
Damaged Saber (0 - no crew unit scratched) Light repairs required

Surviving fighters and pilots were recovered after the IF forces were
confirmed disengaged. Survivors in enemy lifepods were recovered for
prosecution on piracy charges.

Lessons learned: The decoy scouts (my first use of them) worked perfectly
against SMs. Breaking ships from their protective formation is a Bad Idea.
This scenario was basically the right tool for the right job as far as NI was
concerned, but variability in possible IF configurations suggests a need for
more real point defense.

The scenario as we played turns out to be balanced in favor of New Israel
point-wise. IF has two target groups to chose from: the hunter-killer
squadron or the convoy. IF is almost guaranteed heavy casualties, and the
question is what can they take out before they have to break off. A slight
modification of starting speeds would have given the IF a better shot at their
primary goal of destroying the convoy. I think if I had been in Laserlight's
boots I'd have dove for the convoy and ripped it up as much as possible with
two missile waves, and a beam pass, taking heavy casualties as I did.

A different missile/fighter mix might have changed things, however the
NI fighters can't be counted on to be regularly as ineffective as they were
this time.

Whether this scenario describes a "typical" raid intercept or not is
interesting to think about. I designed my Hunter Killer groups to counter
what I thought would be a standard raiding party - a number of destroyer
class ships lead by perhaps a cruiser designed to wipe out shipping. An HK
group that finds such a raid should be able to put it down/chase it off
easily. The encounter we had involved ~twice the "expected" IF firepower.
Either it was an atypical encounter, or I've under-designed my HK
groups, or it could historically indicate a change in IF tactics.